Paris Show Marks Farewell To Paris

October 02, 2007

She may have survived prison and she is off to Africa to "bring happiness to the Africans", but the reign of Paris Hilton in the fashion world is over. No other label has been more associated with Hilton and her millions of teenage aspirants this decade than Christian Dior. Any teen starlet worth her Juicy Couture tracksuit owned at least three T-shirts emblazoned with a J'Adore Dior logo.

Although such patronage brought "youth appeal" to the label - and great wealth - the company is seeking to move away from this demographic, as was clear from the Christian Dior show yesterday in Paris. The label's best show for years opened with a sleek, loose and very glamorous pinstripe suit. Trousers all sat on the hipbone, as opposed to slipping down to groin level, the favoured trouser style of the LA teen market. The dresses were midi length and cut for a woman as opposed to an underfed 22-year-old, even if that was who was still modelling them.

In a report in yesterday's Wall Street Journal Dior's chief executive, Ralph Toledano, said "we needed to move away from the power of the T-shirt", because although these teenage trinkets boosted the company's profile, they were damaging its credibility.

From-http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/fashion/story/0,,2181420,00.html